


Old Yellow Bricks

by SpookyMoth



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, Naruto AU Week 2021, Wizard of Oz References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29162472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpookyMoth/pseuds/SpookyMoth
Summary: The air smells different and he sees just flowers, nothing but flowers in the colours of the rainbow. The sun is hot and clouds are floating in the sky. It doesn’t look like a cyclone has taken place.When he turns around nothing looks familiar. This isn’t the place he has known since his childhood..“Akamaru, I’ve a feeling we are not in Konoha anymore.”
Relationships: Aburame Shino & Hyuuga Hinata & Inuzuka Kiba
Comments: 4
Kudos: 2
Collections: Naruto AU Week 2021





	Old Yellow Bricks

**Author's Note:**

> Naruto AU Week Day 6: Fantasy
> 
> Song: Arctic Monkeys - "Old Yellow Bricks"

Akamaru has hidden himself under the bed when the cyclone started. Kiba tries to pull him out of this, because they need to reach the cellar. It isn’t safe inside the house during those times and he has promised his mother and sister to take care of everything while they are gone. And this means he would go into the cellar, but not without his dog.

“C’mon, Akamaru. We need to go outside once more.”

He answers with whining and a high pitched sound. Kiba tries to grab one of his legs again as his dog suddenly bites him.

“DAMN! Buddy, why are you doing this?”

He looks outside and sees that the cyclone approaches at a fast pace. If they don’t go outside now it’s too late. He crawls under the bed and tries to grab two legs of his dog at once, but Akamaru is prepared and flees from his clutches.

Outside the wind gets harder and he hears things being tossed around by the storm. This is bad, this is really, really bad. It gets darker with each passing minute.

The door starts rattling and he hears the glass of the windows in the first floor breaking. Akamaru continues whining.

Kiba decides to join his dog. They can’t go outside anymore. So it’s better to stay where they are. He strokes his fur and closes his eyes, hoping he has made the right decision.

Somewhere in between he falls asleep.

* * *

He wakes up because Akamaru is licking his face. Kiba doesn’t know what time it is, but since the sun is blinding him, he comes to the conclusion the next day has dawned.

Shortly he wonders why he is no longer under the bed, but maybe he has moved in his sleep. Akamaru wags his tail, expecting to be fed.

“You are lucky,” he says to his dog. “It could’ve been worse.”

He wants to walk into the kitchen as his eyes see something outside that can’t be right.

Yesterday the house wasn’t in the middle of a field of flowers. There wasn’t a large tree in front. He blinkes a few times. It stays the same.

Instead of feeding Akamaru, he goes outside.

The air smells different and he sees just flowers, nothing but flowers in the colours of the rainbow. The sun is hot and clouds are floating in the sky. It doesn’t look like a cyclone has taken place.

When he turns around nothing looks familiar. This isn’t the place he has known since his childhood.

“Akamaru, I’ve a feeling we are not in Konoha anymore.”

He starts to move around the house, looking for clues where he was. Never in his whole life he has been this lost. Whatever happened during the cyclone it has moved the whole house.

Kiba doesn’t know if this is possible, but since he has no other explanation he shrugs his shoulders.

At the backside of the house he sees someone. Akamaru doesn’t seem to be scared and so he steps up to the woman with the long red-brown hair. She has her head bowed to the ground.

He follows her look and sees Silver Shoes glittering from underneath the house.

“Oh, you are finally awake,” the woman says and smiles in his direction.

Startled by her beauty and her long, blue dress in a fashion he hasn't seen before, he can’t form a coherent sentence.

Wherever he was, this doesn’t look like his hometown or the surrounding cities.

“You don’t have to be scared. I am the Good Witch of the North. But you can call me Mei.”

_Good Witch of the North? Did he hit his head so hard, he dreams such ridiculous things?_

“Your arrival is a good sign. You killed the Wicked Wizard of the East.”

She points to the Silver Shoes on the ground.

“I did what?” he burst out.

This was too much. He couldn’t understand what was happening. He pinches his arm. But it hurts. If this is a dream it shouldn’t hurt.

_Did he die?_

“Your house landed on Rasa. He was a cruel wizard and the people of Kaze no Kuni feared him.” She explains. “And I think you deserve a gift. Something that may help you on your way.”

She kneels down and takes the Silver Shoes.

“Seems they are your fit. These shoes are magical and will help you on your way.”

Kiba is dumbfounded, but changes the shoes.

 _I am just dreaming,_ he thinks. _Just a weird dream. Nothing else. Just play along._

“Where are you from? And you didn’t tell your name yet.”

Akamaru barks as he has finished to sniff on the feet of the dead wizard, wagging his tail. Mei pats his head and fondles him behind the ears.

“Konoha,” he answers. “And my name is Kiba. My dog is called Akamaru.”

The witch gives him a broad smile and leans down to kiss his forehead.

“This charm will protect you from all evil.” Then she turns around. “Chojuro! Bring Kiba to the next town.”

“But I don’t want to go to another town. I want to go home,” he says, getting the feeling that he actually doesn’t dream but that all of this is real.

“Then you have to follow the yellow brick road. In the Emerald City lives the Wizard of Oz. He may help you.”

The inhabitants of the town greet him with cheering and laughter as Chojuro explains what has happened. He sees people dancing and hears them singing.

“The Wizard is dead! The Wizard is dead!”

He shakes hands and names are thrown into his direction. It is too much to remember all of them. A huge man with red swirls on his cheeks greets him.

“Hello, Kiba! My name is Chouji and I want to invite you to our feast.”

Soon he sits between Chouji and his friends. A girl named Ino with blond long hair and a boy with a ponytail high on his head, who says his name is Shikamaru. Kiba enjoys the food, which is plenty and listens to the stories about Rasa and his cruel ways.

When he yawns the first time Chouji brings him to a house where he can rest for the night.

“Sleep well, Kiba. Tomorrow you can go to the Emerald City.”

* * *

The Yellow Brick Road is just a road made of old yellow bricks. When Chouji leads him to the road, he gives him his best wishes and something to eat for the way. He doesn’t know how far away the Emerald City is.

Kiba still tries to digest the fact this isn’t a bad dream. Somehow he has travelled to this magical place with witches and wizards. Where the people believe in things he only knows from stories his mother has read to him when he was little.

Akamaru doesn’t care the slightest. His dog is in a good mood - maybe because he ate a lot of sausages during breakfast - and so he follows the road.

It’s around noon, when they reach a corn field. The heat is unbearable. He sees a scarecrow and since it’s the only place with a bit of shade, he places himself right underneath it, taking a sip of his water.

He leans against the pole and wants to close his eyes for a few minutes, but he feels a movement.

“What are you doing, dattebayo! This hurts!”

Within seconds he jumps up. Akamaru barks at the scarecrow. Kiba’s eyes widen. The scarecrow is moving. And it’s an odd scarecrow. He has never seen them wearing orange-black coloured clothes that look new. 

He cocks his head, not sure if he has misheard.

“Don’t look at me like that! Help me!”

_Yes, the scarecrow can speak. I can see the movement of its lips._

“Are you deaf?”

“Why can you speak?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” the scarecrows counters. “It’s totally normal for us to be alive. I can’t be the first scarecrow you see.”

“You are the first one that talks. This is just new to me.”

The scarecrow shakes its - or should he say his? - head. Straw falls to the ground.

“Help me off this pole and I will tell you more about us scarecrows.” The scarecrow grins. “I am Naruto by the way.”

Kiba decides it can’t get worse and unties the scarecrow. When he stands - of course he can stand - Naruto shakes his limbs.

“This is so much better. I have been hanging on this pole for a while now. Kakashi has tied me on the pole as a punishment and left with Sakura and Sasuke. And I think this is really mean.”

“Why did they tie you to the pole?” Kiba asks as Akamaru inspects the scarecrow.

“I said I want to go to the Wizard of Oz and ask him for a brain. They laughed at me!”

He watches Naruto as he reprimands Akamaru who is trying to eat his pants. He almost falls down the floor and overall doesn’t look like he is very clever.

_I am going slightly mad. Now I think about a walking and talking scarecrow._

“I also want to see the Wizard. Maybe we can walk the whole way together.”

The day advances and Kiba listens to Naruto talking about his life, his friends and especially about another scarecrow named Sasuke. Whatever this place is, nothing works like in his world. Kiba still hopes he dreams and wakes up soon.

They leave the cornfields and follow the road into a forest.

There is an abandoned wodden cabin. He can see a rusty axe in a stump. And next to this a tinman.

Kiba stops and looks at the tinman. He wears sunglasses and a coat that hides his face. There are stains of rust all over him. The rain has been hard on him.

 _Why does a tinman need a coat?_ he asks himself as there is a noise.

It sounds like someone is saying “oil”.

Kiba turns his head around to get to the source of the noise.

“Oil.”

This time he is sure that it comes from the direction of the tinman. He turns back and sees an oil can at the feet of the tinman.

“OIL!”

Kiba grabs the oil can and pours it over the joints of the tinman. Lastly he uses it on the face. The tin man starts to move and his limbs make squeaking noises.

“Thank you,” a deep, low voice says.

This time he is prepared that the tin man in fact can speak. Maybe it is resignation or exhausting or both. Kiba accepts everyone and everything in Oz is able to speak. A living tin man seems to be the most normal thing in the world.

“Next time you should not stand in the forest when it starts raining,” Kiba advises him.

“I didn’t ask for your advice,” the tin man answers. “This is my forest and I can do as I like.”

Akamaru and Naruto come back, after scouting the surrounding area.

“Hoi! I am Naruto!”

“You are loud.”

The tin man has a point. Naruto doesn’t know how to lower his voice. Kiba shakes his head.

“This is Akamaru my dog. And I am Kiba. We are following the Yellow Brick Road.”

“You want to see the Wizard of Oz?”

Naruto nods enthusiastically. “Yeah! I want to ask for a brain!”

“I will join you,” the tin man announces. “My name is Shino.”

His strange companions make it easier for him to follow his task. Kiba really wants to go home and see his family and friends again. Staying in Oz would not make him happy.

Akamaru runs ahead, barking and wagging his tails, happy to have new scents and traces he can follow. Kiba enjoys seeing his buddy this happy. At least one of them is pleased with the developments of their journey.

He can’t see Akamaru as he vanishes in a curve. Then he hears him whimper and a roar.

Kiba, Shino and Naruto hurry in the direction of the dog and suddenly stand in front of a lioness. She has her jaws around one of Akamaru’s legs.

“Stop it!” he screams and leaps forward.

The lioness drops the leg and jumps back, scared. This is a strange behaviour for a lion.

“What kind of coward are you to bite my dog?” he asks and hugs his dog.

Akamaru’s leg isn’t hurt.

“I-I am s-sorry,” the lioness stutters. “You are right. I am a c-coward.”

_A speaking lioness..._

_Whatever…_

“Shouldn’t you hunt down other prey? My dog isn’t very delicious.”

His dog makes a disapproving sound.

“I s-should be brave and full of courage. My father always tells me this. I should be like my cousin. But I am not. I wish I had more courage.” The lioness ends her speech with a whisper.

“I know who can help you.” Naruto is cheerful as always and walks to the lioness.

“R-really?”

“Come with us,” Kiba proposes. “To the Wizard of Oz.”

All three of them nod and Akamaru barks in agreement. “What is your name?”

“Hinata.”

* * *

They are strictly following the brick road and face many adventures.

Kiba starts to like his company, mostly because he realises that each of them already have what they need to get what they want.

Naruto doesn’t need to ask for a brain, since his suggestions are always right and help them to tackle all difficulties. Shino, who wants to see the Wizard for a heart, is emphatic and can show emotions in a full scale. And Hinata is braver than she thinks.

Finally after days of hard work they reach the gates of the Emerald City.

“I am the Guardian of the Gates,” a boy with a large golden key around his neck says. “What is your purpose in visiting Emerald City?”

“We want to see the Wizard of Oz.”

“All want to see him. But he is a busy man.”

“We need his help. The Good Witch of the North said I can get help here.”

“Hmm.” The boy in the green jumpsuit says and scratches his chin. “You may advance. But first you need this.”

There are green tinted glasses he shows them.

“Why do we need this?” Shino asks and points to his sunglasses.

“This city is made of emeralds. You don’t want to be blinded by the brilliance of the city.”

As they put on the glasses the guardian lets them in and takes the lead to bring them to the Wizard of Oz.

It is a large castle, a magnificent building that is so stunning Kiba opens his mouth in awe. The guardian opens the large double door and shuts them behind them.

There are few lights but in the middle of the hall is a floating head that greets them.

"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?"

The lioness hides behind them, while Akamaru barks. Shino takes his axe, ready to fight, while Naruto clenches his hands into fists.

“I want to go home,” Kiba says, the only one not scared by the appearance of the Wizard.

“That’s a lot you ask for Kiba Inuzuka. You have to defeat the Wicked Wizard of the West and I will grant your wishes. All of yours.”

“Never someone has dared to defeat the Wicked Wizard of the West,” the guardian says.

“We will do it.”

Kiba is fed up with all of this. He just wants to go home.

“This is dangerous,” Hinata says and looks with fear into his eyes.

“Don’t be scared, Hinata,” Naruto says. “I will protect you.”

* * *

How cruel and scary the Wicked Wizard of the West is, they discover as they want to walk to his castle. He rules over Kaminari no Kuni. A land know for it’s lightning.

  
A pack of wolves wants to tear them apart, but the tin man kills all of them with his axe. When bees try to sting them the scarecrow hides them in his straw, while the bees attack Shino. Hinata’s bravery helps them to overcome the slaves of the Wizard, when she steps in front of her friends and roars so loud and deep they run away.

They fight fiercely to reach the Wizard and think they are almost within reach as Winged Monkeys carry them away. Kiba has to see with horror how they unstuff Naruto and dent Shino, and Hinata is put in cuffs in a prison cell.

The Wicked Wizard of the West is a huge man with dark skin and blond hair. His face has thick eyebrows, a moustache and a beard. He looks grim and angry.

“So you want to kill me?” the man asks as he sits in his throne, his arms crossed.

“I just want to go home,” he answers.

A dark, full volume laugh echoes through the room, making his hair stand up.

“You will be my slave till the end of time. No one who threatens me ever made it out alive.”

Kiba has no choice but to obey. He has seen what kind of power A holds in his hands. So he decides to follow his orders until he can free his friends and himself.

One evening he is so tired from all the work he has done for the Wizard, he just wants to sleep, but he is called in front of the Wizard. He holds a bucket with water in his hands as A asks about his Silver Shoes.

“They are quite beautiful,” he says with a sweet voice. “Don’t you mind if I borrow them?”

He slips off the first shoe and realises too late his mistake as the Wizard grins.

Kiba is so angry he throws the bucket with water in his direction.

“NO!” the Wizard shouts.

To his astonishment A starts to melt, while he continues screaming.

_Who would have thought that water was his sole weakness?_

All the slaves and people of Kaminari no Kuni, who have suffered under the Wicked Wizard’s rule, start to celebrate and help him to restuff Naruto and mend Shino. Hinata has a wound on her legs because of the cuffs and it’s treated with an ointment.

Shino agress to be their new leader, but only after they have brought Kiba back to Konoha. He is moved by his kindness.

In the room of the Wizard he finds a Golden Cap. He puts it on his head, because he thinks it suits him.

“You called me?”

The King of the Winged Monkeys appears in front of him.

“I did not call you.” Kiba is confused.

“The Golden Cap belongs to the sorceress of the North. We are bound to it. If you ever need help you can call us two more times.”

“Can you bring us back to the Wizard of Oz?”

* * *

As they stand in the hall of the castle again, Kiba is full of hope he can go home soon. Akamaru sniffs around the room this time. He waits with his friends until the Wizard of Oz speaks with them. Whatever happens now, he is ready to do everything to go home. He has defeated the feared Wicked Wizard of the West.

Akamaru is wagging his tail so hard, that a screen in the throne room falls over. All of them are surprised as behind the screen an old man on a chair appears. He has long, white hair and a knubby nose. 

“Are you the Wizard of Oz?” Hinata asks with a gasp.

“Yes,” the man mumbles and jumps off his chair. “I am sorry that I tricked you.”

“That’s not cool, old man!” Naruto says and points his finger at him.

“So you can’t give us what we desire?” Shino sounds sad.

“My real name is Onoki. I was carried to Oz a long time ago in a hot air balloon. It was a cyclone. My hometown is Iwagakure. And I couldn’t go back, because of the Wicked Wizards of the East and the West. They were too powerful.”

Kiba is devastated. He has somehow accepted the fact he was caught in this place, that he isn’t dreaming and this realing is happening. That he will be stuck in Oz isn’t like he has imagined his life.

He wants home.

“You have a hot air balloon? Maybe you can use it to travel back?” Naruto suggests.

“You are quite clever,” Onoki says. “First I will help you to fulfill your wishes.”

* * *

Days later it’s time to say goodbye. Kiba waits with his new found friends until his departure. He is sad to leave them behind after so much time. 

Naruto should become the leader instead of Onoki and he has accepted with his bran-new brain. He is quite proud about being the most powerful man in Oz. 

It’s almost time to climb into the balloon as Akamaru sees a cat. He can’t hold back his dog. He calls his name and follows him through the crowd. When he finds him, the cat is on top of a tree, hissing and her claws ready to hit Akamaru.

He wants to go back to finally head home. With horror he sees the hot air balloon drifting over him.

“Kiba!” Onoki shouts. “Where have you been?”

This was his last chance to go back to Konohagakure. All of the sudden he remembers the Golden Cap. Putting it on his head he hopes to get help by the Winged Monkeys.

Asuma, the King of them lands beside him.

“Can you carry me to Konoha?”

“I am sorry,” he states. “We can’t cross the desert that surrounds Oz. I only can carry you to the border.”

He slumps his shoulders and for the first time he loses the last bit of hope. Behind him Naruto, Hinata and Shino are running his way. Out of breath Naruto comes to an halt.

“What happened, Kiba? Shouldn’t you be with Onoki?”

“Akamaru chased a cat.”

A man, another one of the guards steps up to him.

“The power of youth is great in you. May I help you?”

“How can you help me?” Kiba asks and looks at his feet, defeated and sad.

“You should go to Tsunade. The Good Witch of the South. Her powers are great and she has answers to all questions.”

“We will go with you,” Hinata says. “Because friends stick together.”

* * *

For the first time since he is stranded in the Land of Oz they don’t have to face dangerous enemies. They travel two days until they reach a forest that is familiar to the tin man.

Naruto tells a lot of jokes to them to lighten up the mood. The forest is haunting and dark.

It is night time when they decide to settle down for a rest. He makes a bonfire and they sit around it. Akamaru is snuggled to his side.

Kiba thinks about all the things he wants to do once he is home. Even if he has new friends he can’t wait to see his mother again. He misses his sister’s nagging. Working on the farm.

Alarmed Hinata looks into the forest behind them.

“There’s something,” she whispers.

A large spider lands in the middle of their encampment. Akamaru flees into the woods.

After taking the potion of courage in Oz Hinata is full of bravery. She tears off the legs of the giant spider and doesn’t care she is shaken by fear.

“You have rescued us!” An owl floats down one of the trees. “Please! Stay at our side and be our leader. You brave lioness!”

And Hinata accepts.

The next day they finally reach the castle of the Good Witch of the South.

She is a beautiful witch with a youthful appearance. Kiba is abashed because he never has seen such a gorgeous woman his whole life.

“Your time has come to go back, dear Kiba,” she says.

Her eyes have the colour of honey and she smiles at him.

“I see you have the Silver Shoes. This is all you need to go back to Konoha.”

“But why didn’t they tell me earlier?”

“The Good Witch of the North doesn’t know they once belonged to my mother. She was the most powerful witch of Oz. And the Golden Cap also belonged to her.”

Kiba trusts her as he gives her the Golden Cap.

“I will summon the King of the Winged Monkeys one more time. They will bring back your friends.”

He embraces Naruto and Shino one last time and Hinata cries when they say goodbye for real this time.

“I will miss you. All of you.”

"Click your heels together three times and say 'There's no place like home' and you'll be there."

With those last words, he takes Akamaru in his arms and closes his eyes.

The world starts to spin as he mumbles the words and clicks his heels together. It makes him dizzy.

A wonderful familiar scent penetrates his nose.

Kiba opens his eyes.

He is standing on the fields of the farm in the middle of Konoha.

“I am so glad to be home again.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write this story for quite some time now. And since it's Naruto AU Week I decided it is time to send Kiba and Akamaru on an adventure in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".
> 
> Writing this was so much fun and I hope you all laughed and giggled as much as I did.


End file.
